The Kentucky Division of Conservation announced today the winner of the 2011 Kentucky Envirothon. DuPont ManualHigh School topped all other groups in the competition held May 19-20 at the KentuckyLeadershipCenter near Nancy, Ky. The winning team will go on to represent Kentucky at the Canon Envirothon, an international event hosted by MountAllisonUniversity in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada July 24-29, 2011.

The competition began with 33 teams from across the state contending for the top slots from each of the two regional competitions held in April at the Western Kentucky University Farm and the Robinson Center for Appalachian Resource Sustainability. Two Logan County High School teams, Green County High School FFA, three Southwestern High School teams and two Paul Laurence Dunbar High School teams advanced to the state finals.

Students were tested on their environmental knowledge in five areas: soils, aquatics, forestry, wildlife, and “Fresh and Salt Water Estuaries.” During the state competition, students were also judged on an oral presentation dealing with “Fresh and Salt Water Estuaries.”The results are:

·Finishing behind DuPont Manual Team A, the teams from the DuPont Manual Team B and Southwestern Team A took second and third place, respectively.

·GreenCountyHigh School was the top scoring FFA team and will go on to represent Kentucky in the National FFA Career Development Event.

“This year’s state contest was very competitive and the close competition demonstrated the hard work of each of the state teams,” said Division of Conservation Director Steve Coleman.“This tough state contest will prepare Kentucky’s winning team to finish in the top level at the national contest.We wish DuPont Manual High School great success at the Canon Envirothon later this summer.”

Sponsors of the Kentucky Envirothon are: Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts, Kentucky Farm Bureau, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Kentucky Corn Growers and Kentucky Small Grains, Farm Credit Services, Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, Kentucky Association of Conservation Districts’ Auxiliary and several local conservation districts. The Kentucky Division of Forestry, Kentucky Division of Water, and the Kentucky Division of Conservation assisted with the competition.